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Police/NCA/MTNCollaborationLeadsToSIMBOXFraudArrests

Evans Agbenyo and Georgia Vera Mensah have been arrested in connection with SIM box fraud while two others, Christopher Jojo Ewusie and John Owusu, are on the run.

A total number of one thousand and six (1006) used SIM cards, including Vodafone, Glo, MTN and Tigo were also retrieved from them while 100 pieces of recharged cards belonging to Glo and MTN were also found on them.

Mr Agblor said between October 2010 and August 2014, a total of 13 SIM box fraud cases had been recorded while a total of 17 Ghanaians and foreign nationals were arrested, with a total amount of US$ 50,000.000.00 having been lost to both the state and the communication service providers as a total of US $2,000,000 minutes of international calls were diverted by the suspects for the six months of operation.

He said statistics showed that a total loss of US $ 836,000 was made, with the Government of Ghana losing $246,000, whilst communication service providers lost to the US $572,000.

CoP Ablor disclosed that one Italian national had been convicted and sentenced o five years imprisonment while other cases were pending before courts.

He said the operation was collaboration between the Ghana Police, National Communication Authority (NCA) and Mobile Telecommunications Network MTN Ghana Ltd and that his office was very determined to bring to book all crimes.

The Minister for Communication, Dr Edward K Omane Boamah, pledged government’s commitment to working with Anti-Fraud Task Force and telecommunication companies to fish out offenders.

Dr Boamah said SIM BOX was illegal and appealed to the public not to hesitate to report any one suspected of doing such illegal a activities to authority.

He added that anyone called with A foreign number whiles the caller lives here in Ghana should send a text to 419 to his or her service provider with the message SIMBOX.